


There's No Way, Right?

by Spomks



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Asahi knows too much, Daichi learns about exercising authority, Daichi's left shoe's POV, Damnit Kageyama, First years are exhausting, Hinata always gets in the way, If only the club room walls could talk, Its probably romantic tension, Kiyoko def ships DaiSuga, Lots of volleyball practice, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sugawara enjoys a flustered Daichi, Sugawara is observant af, Sugawara makes for a great captain, Tanaka loves to instigate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:35:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29852652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spomks/pseuds/Spomks
Summary: Azumane Asahi isn't the most perceptive guy, but when he points out that Daichi is head over heels for Sugawara, everything starts to crumble. Sawamura Daichi wants to confess, but he keeps getting interrupted. For the good of everything holy, let's hope he finds the right time to do so.
Relationships: Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	There's No Way, Right?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So, this is officially the longest piece I have ever written! I'm very proud of myself and I hope it's as enjoyable for you as it is for me. If you can't tell, I'm a very, very big DaiSuga shipper, it's kinda giving me brain rot. Originally this piece was going to go into my Boredom Quenchers series, but I wanted to really expand on it. I think it deserves to stand on its own. Anyways, enjoy!

“I can’t believe how dense you are sometimes, Daichi,” Asahi sighed, pulling his track pants back on over his long legs. Practice had just ended and the third years were trailing behind in the gym.

“You’re one to talk,” Daichi scoffed, “I doubt it, seriously. We’ve known each other for years, there’s no way he’s into me!”

Asahi screwed his face up in confusion, long hair falling into his eyes, “And I’ve known  _ both _ of you for years! I’ve been watching you two fawn over each other this whole time! I think I know what I’m talking about,” He frowned, brows furrowed tight, “And don’t bring Nishi into this!” He shook his head and glanced at Sugawara, who was occupied with a conversation with Kiyoko. “Well, I’ve gotta go. See you tomorrow.” Daichi watched after him, still standing where they spoke. There’s no way Asahi was being truthful, right? 

Daichi thought back over the years, reminiscing on the time he and his fellow teammates had shared. He thought about all the times he and Sugawara had split off to wander and talk on their own, to laugh by themselves, to joke with each other. Each time they came back Asahi and Kiyoko always had some knowing glint in their eyes, but Daichi never thought of it. 

Sugawara’s form materialized in front of him and his train of thought faltered. “What’s got you so deep in thought?” Sugawara queried, a twinkle of mischief on his face.

“Oh, just third-year stuff, you know Asahi always has to bring it up,” Daichi laughed, clearing his mind. Sugawara cracked a smile, mirth shone in his eyes. Daichi had to steady himself, he wanted to kiss that smile so,  _ so _ bad. Daichi could’ve sworn he saw Sugawara’s gaze flit down to his mouth. It almost seemed as though Sugawara leaned in, but it was probably wishful thinking. Kiyoko walked by, breaking the spell, waving goodbye as she stepped out into the evening. They glanced back towards each other, embarrassment sparked the air. They choked out awkward goodbyes and headed their separate ways home. 

Daichi huffed loudly into the night, running a hand over his still sweat-damp face. What was he thinking? He’s almost always had a thing for Sugawara, had Sugawara had a thing for him, too? Was he really as dense as Asahi said? Enough for Asahi to notice? Was Sugawara trying to throw him a hint? How obvious were they being? Were they even that obvious, or were their friends hyper-observant? Daichi continued on his walk home, head tucked down in thought. He didn’t even notice when his shivers began, or when he passed his own house. 

* * *

Sugawara couldn’t help but chuckle to himself when he left the gym that evening. Daichi was something else. His best friend, for one, but a tease as well. Always seemingly flirting with him, but never to make a move because Daichi would never fall for his best friend. Sugawara let his mind fall back to the day that Daichi came out to him. He was all flustered and nervous and huffed it out in what seemed like half a breath. Sugawara just laughed and patted him, leaning his forehead onto Daichi’s shoulder. 

“I know, Daichi, I know,” He coughed out between laughs, Daichi looked bewildered, frozen to the spot.

“You... You did? How?” He squeaked in his young voice. Sugawara met his eyes, a mischievous glint in them.

“It takes one to know one,” He replied, letting the few words wash over Daichi. Once it registered, Daichi went bright red. At the time, Sugawara didn’t know why, but, as they always say, hindsight has 20-20 vision. Sugawara just hasn’t figured it out yet.

Sugawara leaned forward, eyes focusing on concrete, his steps faltered. So was Daichi not actually a tease? He was because Sugawara knew. He  _ knew _ Daichi would never fall in love with his best friend. That’s something he would never do, right? Are they more similar than Sugawara thought? He brought a hand to his lip, pulling on it as he thought. His legs brought him forward once more, taking the familiar path home. God, what was Sugawara going to do?

* * *

Daichi awoke to a screaming alarm hitting him like a freight train. So, was yesterday not actually a dream? Or was it? He shook the sleep from his head, reaching for the alarm, happy to put a stop to its incessant screaming. Today was going to be long, he knew it, and that made him just want to curl up and go back to sleep. 

The school day seemed even worse than the morning. Every teacher demanded his full attention during their monotonous lectures. Daichi opted to stare at his hands rested on the desk, pen loosely pinched in one and the other thumbing his notes. He couldn’t pull his mind away from Asahi’s damned words. Now he really was in deep shit. Had Daichi been ignoring how hard he’d been falling? There’s no way he was really that encapsulated by Sugawara. 

_ Sugawara _ .

The thought of him sent Daichi’s heart into a frenzy. Shit, shit, shit! No, nope! This was  _ not _ happening. He snapped his head up and towards the board, only to find that it had been completely covered in his teacher’s writing. How much had he missed? The bell rang out, sounding the end of the day. Students snatched their things up and filed out the door, leaving Daichi a statue at his desk. He quickly scribbled some notes down and prayed his teacher wouldn’t say a thing. He tucked his head down and scampered out of the classroom, towards the gym. Daichi was so screwed.

* * *

Sugawara approached the club room, bag loosely clung to his shoulder. Practice could not have come quicker today. Well, the end of practice couldn’t come sooner. He needed to talk to Daichi. Sugawara was never one to avoid his feelings, but this was his best friend, he didn’t want to ruin it. How would he go about this? He pushed the door open, the smell of tired athletes seeped into his nose. He scrunched his face in retaliation, it was a smell he would never get used to. A few of the second-years were joking around while they changed, paying no mind to their co-captain. Sugawara made his way to a bench and sighed as he plopped down next to the only quiet kid in the room, Asahi. He gave Sugawara a curt nod. His mouth parted but quickly shut, stopping his thoughts from escaping.

“What?” Sugawara asked, turning to leer at the tall boy. Asahi’s eyes popped open and he glanced away. He shook his head, a chuckle breaking out of his chest. Sugawara chided, frustration feigning his voice, “What is it? I’ll get it out of you by force if necessary.” He waved a hand, threatening to chop at Asahi’s ribs.

“Nothing! I swear, I just had a stupid thought,” Asahi lied. Sugawara huffed, the answer was good enough, even if it wasn’t the truth. The false tension broke when the door swung open again to reveal a brawny figure with a square jaw and tired eyes. He locked gazes with Sugawara, freezing for a split moment before shuffling to Asahi’s other side. He huffed out a greeting and honed his eyes in on his shoes. 

“Hello to you, too, captain,” Sugawara joked, his voice light and lilting. Asahi shook his head again. Sugawara could’ve sworn he heard Asahi mutter something along the lines of, ‘I swear, you two are unbelievable,’ before he had left the club room. 

“So, anything you wanna work on today?” Daichi asked, tying his left shoe. He always did his left one first, Sugawara found it endearing. 

“Just getting some reps in, maybe get the first years under some hits, too? I mean, if we really want to go to nationals this year they’ll need it.” He replied, pulling his track jacket up over his shoulders. Daichi nodded, gaze never leaving his feet. His big hands busied with the small knots of his laces. Sugawara sat for a moment, waiting for Daichi like always, but he couldn’t seem to ignore the thick silence that sunk in between them.

“Asahi!” Sugawara shouted, shooting the ball towards the outside hitter. Asahi leaped, swinging right through the blockers in front of him. The ball slammed into the ground with a satisfying  _ smack _ . Sugawara’s team cheered in delight. 

“Good rally, guys! Remember to cover your hitters tighter!” Daichi critiqued from the other side, “And for my blockers: tighten up! Your shoulders should be brushing together,” The boys nodded and reset for the next serve. Sugawara settled at the net, stretching his wrists, a concentrated smile settled on his face. Mock games were his favorite. He actually got to be in live game-play. He usually played against Daichi, being the co-captain and all, but today it seemed different. Daichi barely even acknowledged him. “Anything you’d like to add, Suga?” He asked, snapping Sugawara out of his focus.

“Hm, back rows! Be more aware of your surroundings, I saw too many people almost tripping over teammates. Communicate, please, or we’ll run communication drills ‘till your voices are raw,” He added, motioning to the backcourt on both sides of the net. They all nodded. Sugawara cracked a grin and glanced at Daichi, who— for the first time today— had a smile pulling at his mouth. Sugawara’s chest warmed at the sight.

* * *

Practice finally finished, sweaty boys filed out of the gym to take deep gulps of the evening air. Daichi took a swig of water, trying not to look like a thirsty toddler. He swiped at his sweat-coated face with his shirt collar, abs peeking out below his hiked-up shirt. Peering over his bottle he found Sugawara’s deep brown eyes plastered on his torso, his face heated. Daichi dropped his shirt only to find Sugawara start to shake his head a little and turn away, hiding what seemed to be a wanting glint in his eyes.  _ Damnit, Suga, you’re too damn cute _ , Daichi thought, shaking his water bottle aimlessly. Without warning, his brain flicked to the idea of Sugawara running his hands across Daichi’s chest, lighting flames across his skin. Daichi squeezed his eyes shut in protest and tried to push the thought away. Asahi’s words rang in his ears again. He took a deep breath and glanced around. No one else was in the gym. Daichi threw caution to the wind and called out, “Hey, Suga, can we talk for a second, I need to ask you something...” He trailed off, watching Sugawara’s eyes widen in surprise and panic. He cleared his throat and nodded, running a hand through the silver hair that had plastered his forehead. Daichi took a step forward, both hands wrapped around his water bottle tightly, air hissing through the cap. “So, um, this has been something I’ve been mulling over all day, and I... I just really need to know, do you—“ The sound of the gym door sliding open cut his words off.

“Oh my god, you guys will not believe this! Hinata—“ Tanaka wheezed, gasping for air, “Hinata got his foot stuck in a toilet!” Tanaka cackled at the doorway, clutching his side. Daichi’s mouth hung open, disappointment glazed his eyes. Sugawara chuckled and shook his head.

“That little idiot,” He sighed. He stepped off towards the door, but looked back over his shoulder, “Save that thought for me, won’tcha? Duty calls,” Daichi watched as the laughing face disappeared past gym doors. Tanaka wheezed once again at the pun and leaned on the doorway.

“Sorry I interrupted ya. What, were you askin’ him out or somethin’?” He joked lightly, sarcastically waggling an eyebrow. Daichi heaved a sigh, scrubbing a calloused hand over his tired face, this was not his day.

“Yes, Tanaka, yes I was,” He mumbled out shortly. Tanaka’s lighthearted expression dropped into surprise, mouth agape.

“Dude,” He dragged out, “No way! Seriously? You’re joking, right?”

“No, Tanaka, no I’m not.” Tanaka let another laugh burst out of his chest. Daichi shot him a silencing glare, “This stays absolutely silent, okay?” 

Tanaka nodded.

* * *

Sugawara threw the bathroom door open and yelled, “Alright, which one of you fuckwads actually got the shrimp to do it?” The air fell to silence, electricity buzzed around Sugawara’s body. If Daichi was about to ask what he thought he was going to ask, this could  _ not  _ have gone any worse. Kageyama and Nishinoya stood like deer in Sugawara’s blazing glare. A small hand pointed to Kageyama’s stiff form from behind a stall wall. 

“It was him! It was that fart-face!” Hinata yelped, waving his hand angrily.

“Hinata,” Sugawara trailed, annoyed, hands finding an assertive place on his hips, “How the hell did this happen?” 

“Simple,” Nishinoya butt in, “Hinata annoyed Kageyama, Kageyama picked him up and shoved him down into the toilet, and Hinata tried too hard to get out that he twisted his foot in further.” Sugawara sighed for the hundredth time that night.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think he’d actually get stuck,” Kageyama mumbled, avoiding laughter.

“It’s fine, well, not really, but we’ll figure this out,” Sugawara made his way to the stall to find the rest of Hinata in a rather compromising position. One foot twisted into the toilet and the rest of him sat on the ground facing away. What one might call a reverse pretzel. His face was tinted pink from the exertion of trying to pull himself out. “Have you tried just getting out of your shoe? Maintenance can get it later,” Sugawara huffed. He needed to get back to Daichi, this couldn’t wait any longer. He knew Daichi was just going to tell him he’s not interested, that they’re just friends, but part of Sugawara was hopeful that he wasn’t. Maybe it was just about how he felt not playing as much? Or if he could work with the first years more? Sugawara was panicking. A cheer of success pulled him back as Hinata stood up, rubbing his sore leg that was missing a shoe. 

“I’ll make sure to leave a note for maintenance, sorry again!” Hinata called as he waddled out, trailing toilet water on the ground. The first-year setter and small libero trailed behind him, uttering their apologies as well. That left Sugawara in a bathroom all alone, wondering what in the hell would’ve happened if the hitter-setter duo could’ve just gotten along for once. Sugawara turned to leave, his heart heavy in his chest. The night breeze made the back of his neck erupt into goosebumps. He looked up to find that the gym had been locked up and Daichi had promptly left. His stomach went hollow. How long would he have to wait for this conversation to happen?

* * *

Daichi laid wide awake, staring at the ceiling he memorized years ago. He couldn’t believe what he had almost done. If it weren’t for Tanaka, he would’ve for sure ruined everything he had with his best friend. But now Tanaka was going to relentlessly taunt him, huh? He’s such an instigator. Daichi rolled to his side with a grunt and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that that would be enough to put him to sleep. Maybe Daichi would change his mind and try again tomorrow, maybe he would just leave things as they were.

“Okay, listen up, everyone! Today we’re all gonna focus on receiving. We’re not doing anything special, though, just repetition. You know the drill, hop to it!” Daichi announced to the team, letting them split up for the drill. It was one they used almost every practice. A few people served on one side of the net, the rest were left to cycle through back-row positions on the other side, one person stood as a setter target. A simple but fool-proof repetition drill. 

The team groaned in retaliation but slowly split off. Daichi decided to start out serving, his arm had gotten a little rusty. Plus, he liked messing with the first years by serving right at them. It was the one way the cynical part of him got a buzz. Sugawara jogged after him, snagging a ball as he made his way to the end line.

“What’s got you all ‘in the zone’ today, captain?” He asked, voice light. Daichi smirked, trying not to gawk at the way Sugawara said the word ‘captain,’ or how his eyes gained their familiar twinkle, or how his beauty mark scrunched underneath his eye...

“Just trying to whip these boys into shape,” He commented, spinning a volleyball in his hands. Sugawara cracked a chuckle. Daichi glared, “Don’t you dare say what I think you’re gonna say, Suga. Get your mind out of the gutter!” 

Sugawara only grinned, and Daichi be damned. He felt eyes burning into his skull and turned to lock gazes through the net with a cocky Tanaka. Daichi stared back, then took the open moment to serve a float straight at him and laughed as Tanaka fumbled with it.  _ Screw it _ , Daichi mentally sighed,  _ might as well try again tonight. _ “About yesterday,” He began, grabbing a new volleyball, “Think you can hang around again tonight for that conversation?”

* * *

“Think you can hang around again tonight for that conversation?” Daichi’s voice rumbled out. Leaving deadly silence in its wake. 

Sugawara glanced up at him, forcing his usual smile onto his face, “Of course, I always wait for you after practice anyway, what’s so different?” He countered, trying to make the conversation as normal as possible. He tried to wipe the memory of staring at Daichi’s abs away, it didn’t work. Nothing about this was normal. Daichi grinned and Sugawara’s heartbeat fluttered. There goes the one normal thing for today.

Sugawara combed through silver hair, letting the locks fall back into his vision. He took a breath and settled into a ready-stance, waiting for the crack of hand against ball. Asahi was next to serve, absent-mindedly spinning a volleyball in his palm. To the left of Sugawara stood Hinata and Ennoshita, both honed in on the server. 

“Ready for the last serve of the night?” Asahi called ambitiously. He tossed the ball, making his approach for a tremendous jump serve. With a strong leap, Asahi swung, the ball bounding off his hand with considerable speed. 

_ Thwap. _

Hinata had his back against the floor, the ball bouncing off to his right. A hand shot up to tender his reddened nose. Not only had the impact left an immediate mark, but blood had already begun to bloom from the redhead’s nose. Asahi looked across the net horrified, and ran over, reaching down to Hinata in apology.

“Oh my gosh, I am so, so sorry. I- I wasn’t aiming for you, I swear. It was a fluke! I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” The tall boy asked, his menacing looks melted into fear and apology. 

Hinata leaned up, cupping his nose. “Yeah, I'll be just fine! Great serve, Asahi!” He chirped. Sugawara gaped on.  _ Hopefully that won't put a damper on tonight _ , he thought. Yachi approached Hinata with a towel and handed it to him, apologizing about it being all they had. She backed away and darted to Kiyoko’s side, looking on worriedly for her friend. At this point, the rest of the team was joking with Hinata or complimenting Asahi on his killer serve. Daichi crept up next to Sugawara, hands clasped behind his back, dark eyes hooded with exhaustion. 

“Think we should end on that?” He muttered, leaning down towards Sugawara, his breath leaving warmth against the setter’s ear. Sugawara nodded quietly, savoring the feeling. “Maybe you should work with Hinata a little bit more before we lock up for the night,” Daichi continued, straightening up. Sugawara only nodded again.

“Guess we’ll just have that conversation tomorrow, then, huh?” He lowed, emptiness framing his words. Daichi gazed at him with a forced chuckle and nodded, walking towards the gym doors. He called for everyone to wrap up. Players, coaches, and managers filed out, but Sugawara held Hinata back by pulling at his shirt. 

Hinata glanced at him, brows furrowed in question. “What? Am I in trouble?” He asked.

“No, but we need to work on that receive of yours. It’s about time you start using your arms and not your face,” Sugawara said, tone stern,  _ and stop torturing me and my patience _ , he added silently. Hinata nodded and went to grab the volleyball cart, determination hardening his features. Sugawara let out a quiet sigh. Another night, another painful twenty-four hours of waiting.

“Alright, I think you’re finally getting the hang of this. Nice job, Hinata,” Sugawara stated, rubbing at stinging eyes, “Go ahead and leave, I’ll take care of the net and floors.” Hinata dipped his head in thanks and issued a curt goodbye before weaving between scattered volleyballs and making his way out the door, energy still flowing through his tiny body. Sugawara dragged himself to the net, beginning to undo all the knots and Velcro that held the thing up. He let out a dramatic groan, its echo being his only source of comfort. Only twenty-three hours and thirty minutes until he could talk to Daichi.

* * *

Daichi sat in the club room alone, his breath being the only noise to fill the stuffy air. Practice was delayed a half-hour today so the rest of the team wouldn’t show up for a while. He was so sure of himself yesterday, he was ready to admit his deepest confessions to Sugawara, but now the thought of Sugawara made his chest grow tight, it felt as if the air in the room was gone. He couldn’t do this, not anymore, but what would he say instead? He couldn’t just leave Sugawara high and dry like that. Cold hands ran over bouncing legs, eyes darted between shelves and the door, searching for something to ground his mind. Daichi finally huffed out the breath he had held and unpacked his practice bag. As he pulled a shoe from the bag, the soft click of the doorknob snapped his head upward, causing pain to shoot down his neck. He winced and allowed his eyes to refocus on a slender silver-haired setter with a beauty mark. His mouth opened, held slack with surprise.

“Uh, hello to you, too, captain,” Sugawara lilted, stepping in and swinging the door shut, an eyebrow cocked up in laughter. “Didn’t expect anyone else to be here yet. Thought I could get a quiet moment to myself,” He continued, setting his bag next to Dachi’s bag’s contents and began to unpack it. Daichi swallowed and stood up, taking a step towards the door. Sugawara eyed him warily.

“Oh, um, I can leave if you want, I have other things I could do—“

“No, it’s fine, Daichi, I don't mind being with you.” Sugawara cut in, gazing at him with those knowing eyes, “You’re not a bother.” 

Daichi stared at him, a small breath escaping him. He nodded and opened up the space he had shortened between himself and the door. The air felt thick and even more stuffy to Daichi like someone had turned the club room into a sauna. He took a heavy seat on the bench and made his shoes his new focus. Sugawara let out an airy chuckle at his captain’s antics and slipped off his shirt, folding it neatly and placing it in his bag. Daichi’s refused to look up, he knew that it’d be over then and there if he did. 

“Oh,” Sugawara said quietly, lightly, a small chuckle escaped.

“What?” Daichi’s asked, looking up. His eyes met the setter. The setter who was in a shirt a size or two too large, one that clung loosely to his shoulders and hung a good way past his hips. Daichi’s face flooded with heat, and he averted his gaze, finding the air vent to be particularly interesting. Forcibly ignoring the rate at which his heart was now beating. “I, um,” He swallowed thickly, “I think that’s my shirt, Suga.”

“Oops?” Sugawara suggested, slipping the shirt back off, folding it back on top of Daichi’s things. “Must’ve grabbed the wrong one. Blame it on the matching practice uniforms.” Daichi nodded, eyes still plastered on the vent. To busy his mind, he moved to change as well. It might’ve made it worse, though. Sugawara’s cologne clung faintly to Daichi’s shirt, it only made Daichi feel more like he was dying. The shirt felt too tight to wear. Sugawara sat quietly next to him, so close, yet so out of reach, and watched Daichi tie his shoes. Left first, then right.

“Why don’t you lead practice today, Suga?” 

“Sure, is there a reason why?” Sugawara cocked an eyebrow, attempting to grab Daichi’s gaze.

“Why not?” Daichi refused to move his eyes away from his shoes. The shoes that should most definitely have holes bored into them by now.

“Okay then.” Sugawara patted his legs, mind making its way towards drills the coaches would want to run today. Daichi refused to say that his decision was so he could avoid the embarrassment he’d gain from his teammates' observation of his flustered state. Daichi tugged at his shirt collar, he was so screwed later. 

* * *

Sugawara woke up tired, impatient, annoyed, and every other word that tied to ‘short-tempered.’ Why? He wasn’t really sure, but the idea of Daichi kept popping up in his mind. He stomped up the stairs to the club room, noting that the lights were on. He would probably just kick whoever was in there out so he could have some peace and quiet before practice. The doorknob opened with a soft click and he pushed it open with a quiet sigh. He opened his mouth and readied a short comment, but his mind fell silent when his vision fell on a tired face with cropped black hair and deep brown eyes that hinted at desperation and surprise. Daichi’s mouth hung slack, his eyes bore into the setter’s. Sugawara let out his usual greeting for when Daichi played his awkward antics, frustration melting away. Daichi snapped up and gave his head a small shake. Sugawara set his bag down and stretched before grabbing his practice uniform out, placing it down next to his bag.

“Didn’t expect anyone else to be here yet. Thought I could get a quiet moment to myself,” Sugawara commented, eyeing Daichi’s stiff form. Daichi strode towards the door, face apologetic and frantic. He stuttered out an apology, reaching for it. Sugawara cut him off, realizing his mistake, his stomach dropped at the prospective idea of being alone. “No, it’s fine, Daichi, I don't mind being with you. You’re not a bother.” He met his panicked captain with a warm gaze, the warmth began to spread to his cheeks. Daichi, still stiff, nodded and made his way back to the bench, giving his shoes a deep, meticulous stare. Sugawara couldn’t help the giggle that escaped him, Daichi was adorable when he was flustered…

Sugawara slipped the practice shirt over his head. Feeling how loose it was, he looked down to find a shirt on his torso that was not his own. It smelled of a different detergent and the bottom hem was stretched out. Sugawara’s lungs froze, he felt so stupid. He didn’t even realize he reached for the wrong shirt, he kind of forgot Daichi’s things were next to his.

“Oh,” Sugawara breathed, forcing the flurry and fluster out of his voice in a chuckle. The comment was enough to snag Daichi’s attention away from the floor. His eyes widened, they scraped over every inch of Sugawara’s shoulders, chest, and hips before darting straight up to the vent in the wall. 

“I, um, I think that’s my shirt,” Daichi croaked, swallowing hard, his Adam’s apple bobbed viciously.

“Oops?” Sugawara countered and grabbed at the shoulder seams, pulling the shirt back over his head. He took a brief inhale, savoring the scent of Daichi’s detergent. If it wouldn’t have left Daichi with a dangerously too-small shirt, Sugawara would’ve just kept his captain’s shirt on, but alas, Sugawara would’ve drowned in the sight. He didn’t need the team’s reaction to that. So instead he folded the shirt back up, placing it with the clothes he should’ve recognized weren’t his, and made a lighthearted excuse for their little conundrum. It didn’t seem to bother Sugawara. Well, at least to Daichi. Sugawara slipped his own shirt on, the fabric cool and uninviting. The room fell silent once again, their tongues too thick to make any more banter. 

* * *

Daichi leaned down, placing his hands on the corners of the wooden box, a hitting box. He pushed it out of the equipment closet and adjusted it next to the net for his coach. Coach Ukai stepped upon it, testing its stability and position, and nodded to Daichi in thanks. Daichi straightened up and returned the nod, he cleared his throat.

“Alrighty, kiddos, you know what this means!” Sugawara called, clasping his hands together, “Hit receives ‘til you drop!” The team let out a collective sigh. 

“And here I thought Sugawara would be more laid back,” Someone groaned, earning a mischievous glare from the co-captain. His face flit back to a smile and he strode towards the net to be the passing target. 

“Give ‘em hell, coach,” Sugawara lowed, giving the team a once-over. Coach Ukai chuckled and rolled his shoulder. He called for the team’s attention and tossed a ball, hitting it directly down at the poor boy on the court. “Make sure to shag your own balls, if you can’t manage to get ‘em to me!” Sugawara shouted, he watched the team nod, annoyed at the extra work. He only grinned. Daichi caught himself before he could start drooling. He stepped onto the court, readying himself for Ukai’s aggressive hit. The ball shot down, Daichi shifted his weight to the left, bringing his left leg out to widen his stance. He squared his shoulders towards his target, adjusting his arms to angle the ball for a high pass. On impact, he softened his elbows, allowing them to absorb most of the shock. The ball rebounded in a perfect arc, straight for Sugawara. The gym went silent with awe, then burst out with a loud ‘Nice receive!’ Daichi locked eyes with Sugawara, who had a grin stretching across his face, cheeks squished up under his eyes. He nodded and turned around towards the back of the line, an elbow stopped him in his tracks.

“Nice pass, lover boy,” Tanaka snarked. Daichi screwed up his face in disgust.

“Shut up, Tanaka, or you’re off the team,” Daichi huffed in a not-so-serious serious tone, moving back into the line. Tanaka only let out a harsh taunting laugh. Daichi crossed his arms, ducking his head to hide the heat that had bloomed on his face. The boy in front of him turned around, a small smile playing at his mouth. 

“Finally figured out how bad you got it, huh?” Asahi asked, slouching down a little to cover the conversation from the rest of the line. Daichi glared, one eyebrow cocked in annoyance. He nodded curtly, breaking eye contact. Asahi’s shoulders shook in quiet laughter, a silent mocking ‘I told you so.’

Daichi scooped up a volleyball, then another, and another. Shagging volleyballs was the bane of his existence. He wobbled to the cart, dumping the balls into it, careful not to drop any. He sighed, ready for the day to be over. A hand found its place on his shoulder blade, the body belonging to it swung around, dumping two more volleyballs into the court. 

“Thanks for letting me play captain today, Daichi,” Sugawara mused, giving Daichi a half-smile. Daichi’s heart thumped at the sound of his name. He forced on a content face and nodded.

“Of course, I—”

“Hey, Kageyama!” The shout came from Hinata, who was bounding onto the hitting box, “Toss me a few, huh? I wanna try this thing out!” He tottered on top of the box, finding his balance. Daichi frowned, he was too tired for this, and he couldn’t wait any longer.

“Not today, Hinata. Go home,” He called, striding over to the box. Hinata let out a whine but it got cut off by a hasty yank of his shirt from Daichi. “Not. Today,” Daichi repeated, eyes and voice stern. Hinata pouted but agreed. He moved to push the box back into the equipment closet, Kageyama in tow with the ball cart. 

Sugawara let out an airy chuckle, “Too old for their antics, huh?” 

“You could say that,” Daichi countered, eyeing the third-year setter. His face cracked into a smile. He couldn’t help but feed off Sugawara’s intoxicating personality. 

The gym was empty now. Net had been packed away and floors swept. The two boys stood in the middle of the gym, chests still heaving slightly from the exhausting practice. The air felt static in the absence of their team. 

“So,” Sugawara began, “What was it that you were trying to ask me a few days ago?” He shifted his weight to one leg, crossing his arms. His eyes watched Daichi closely, causing Daichi’s face to burst out into a heavy blush.

“Well,” Daichi swallowed, “I mean, I don’t think I need to ask you anymore.” He locked back onto Sugawara’s meticulous gaze, confidence buzzing under his skin. He took a step, then another, and tilted his head down, never breaking their eye contact. Sugawara seemed to stiffen, a light pink creeping across his cheeks and under his beauty mark. Daichi brought his hand to Sugawara’s chin, tilting his head up. Sugawara’s mouth parted, but only silence leaked from it. Daichi’s heart thrummed in his chest, his hand tingled at the contact. He brought his other hand around the small of Sugawara’s back, pulling him closer. Their faces were a mere hair apart. “Can I please kiss you?” Daichi whispered, his breath glancing off of Sugawara’s now bright red face. Sugawara smirked and slung his arms around Daichi’s neck. His skin felt like it had sparked into a smoldering fire. 

“I thought you’d never ask,” He breathed. 

Daichi closed the space, craning his neck down. Sugawara met him with passionate fervor. Daichi’s hand slid from Sugawara’s chin into his hair, slipping it through silver locks. Sugawara’s arms just tightened around Daichi’s neck, desperate to hold on forever. Their chests were pressed tight and heaved against each other. Daichi took a deep breath through his nose, relishing in the smell of the boy he was in love with. He pulled back, opening his eyes to take in every part of Sugawara. Flushed cheeks, swollen lips, hazy eyes, ruffled silver hair, the beauty mark that sat so surely under his eye. Sugawara met him with a dopey grin. 

“I waited three days too long to do that,” Daichi lowed, leaning their foreheads together. Sugawara pulled back, giving him a tug on the ear.

“Three days? How about three  _ years _ too long!” His voice feigned offense. Daichi rubbed at his ear, an apologetic expression slid on his face. Sugawara shook his head and pulled Daichi into a tight hug. “Would you be surprised if I said I was in love with you this whole time?” He mumbled into Daichi’s shoulder.

“No, because I’ve loved you this whole time, too.” Daichi rubbed at Sugawara’s back slowly, memorizing every curve and jut underneath his lover’s shirt. Relief washed over him, he didn’t realize just how tense this whole situation had gotten him. He mentally thanked Asahi for those words he had said only a few days ago. Nimble fingers found their way across his jaw and cheekbones. He watched as Sugawara traced his face lightly, holding in his breath. Sugawara caught his gaze and laughed, light and airy.

“What? Afraid you’ll scare me away with your bad breath or something? Don’t worry, I’m already used to it,” He joked, an extra tone of joy flitting in his words. Daichi let out the breath through his nose and shook his head. He leaned down and placed a light kiss on Sugawara’s nose, leaning their foreheads together once more.

“Well, I’m glad there’s one more thing I don’t have to worry about.” Sugawara cracked a grin. Daichi fell just a little bit harder.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, a special thanks to ao3 user Indistinguishable_Alien, my friend who edited this piece and helped me along. Hopefully, they will be releasing a piece called Sugawara's Crash Course In Dating soon, you should really check it out! It's coming together so well!


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